Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to methods and systems for facilitating a transaction between at least one merchant and at least one consumer, and in particular, to a method and system for facilitating a transaction between at least one merchant and at least one consumer in a network environment, e.g., the Internet.
Description of the Related Art
The lending and credit industries are expanding in the online environment, such as the Internet and the like. This expansion, i.e., the e-tailing market, is facilitated and driven through advertisement, since the point-of-sale (“POS”) is a virtual POS. Accordingly, and in order to establish a brand, a focused and targeted advertising plan must be implemented. One such advertising technique is a “viral” advertising approach, which attempts to divert high-value prospective customers to specific clients. These clients pay a service, e.g., Google, to refer valuable, repeat customers to them for business.
Such models may be considered generalized search models, which provide a search box for all users and consumers. Accordingly, while many leads or potential customers are identified using this advertising approach, normally, only a fraction of these potentials lead to a bona fide sale. Further, the online environment may be considered a loose collection of individual brands offered to consumers that already know which brands they like, and where they want to shop. Therefore, obtaining new customers from normal advertising mechanisms is often ineffective.
Presently, the various search engines, e.g., Google, Yahoo, Ask, etc., represent efficient and effective means for creating traffic. However, such engines normally cannot capture or identify specific consumer groups. For example, “high end” consumers typically know what goods or services they desire, and generally where to find them. Such consumers do not normally browse shop using this particular search engine approach.
In response, certain shopping-specific search engines have been developed. These engines allow a consumer to identify merchants to satisfy their specific needs. In addition, these shopping-specific engines allow the consumer to search products and compare brands and prices between these products. However, while effective in assisting the consumer, such an approach does not serve as particularly beneficial to specific merchants. Therefore, required is an advertising approach that is beneficial to consumers, as well as merchants.
In the 1980s, the credit card industry began to shift to branding their credit products. For example, credit cards have been offered that are affiliated with a specific group or entity, e.g., professional groups, a university and/or an alumni association, etc. Consumers obtain and use these cards since they agree with or otherwise support the concept or brand of the card, and in return, the group or entity receives donations or other compensation for endorsing the credit product. While these various groups or entities may offer a credit card branded with their logo or trademark, this does not necessarily lead these consumers to a specific merchant or consumption environment. Therefore, such a model is not an effective advertising mechanism for merchants, particularly online merchants that are attempting to attract high-end leads and actual customers from an enormous group of users.